Experiences with Iuds

To make my story short.... My IUD (Mierna) actually FELL OUT after 5 months. Almost 2 weeks passed before i realized the string wasn't there, and the 2 more weeks to get a doctor's appointment. I am shocked i didn't get pregnant. Like most others said, most women love it, and my situation is rare. But just remember it is a possibility. Good luck.

Hi K.,

I have a friend who actually ended up having all of the symptoms with the Mirena. Her body just wasn't equipped to take it. The Mirena ended up being rejected by her body, and caused her a severe infection. The infection caused her acne to flare, irritable from the abdomen pain, headaches. She suffered so severe abdomen pain (before she knew it was the Mirena) that I had to take her to emergency. That's where they found the Mirena as the cause, and removed it. She had to take antibiotics, and pain meds for a little while. She is no longer as grumpy, her acne is down to a minimum, and no more headaches. She lives a highly active, and stressful life. She's already prone to the acne, and the headaches, and seems to have a short fuse. IF this is you, the Mirena is not the way to go. If you're normally a calm person, no acne, no alergies, no consistent headaches, then the Mirena might be good for you. Other women I know love it, and have virtually no periods too.

Luck!

M.

I've had a Mirena for quite a while, and while I didn't "enjoy" the insertion (ouch!), it's caused me no difficulties since, and I genuinely love it.

Hey K.,
You can look back at prior posts for this topic, I have responded to them. I have Paragard and agree with the heavy periods, mine were fairly light/short before pregnancy. Now it is heavy the first 2-3days before it tapers down at about day five but not having to deal with hormones, remembering to take pills and knowing it is very unlikely I will have any surprises makes up for it totally! My Midwife suggested it to me, she had one for years and was very happy with it too.
L.

I similarly moved on from the pill (mainly b/c of increased health risks after 40). My dr. put me on Paraguard and I'd have to say overall it's been pretty convenient and trouble-free. My own hormones came back, so that was a bit of a surprise after decades on the pill (which seems to even out your mood over the month). I now have distinct "PMS" days that I didn't have before - craving sweets and irritable. I also enjoyed a nice, light period on the pill and now have heavier periods (for the first few days) and some cramping (usually just one day - some months worse than others) on the Paraguard, which I never had before. Othwerwise, it's nice not to have to keep track of birth control anymore!
Oh- I guess it's been almost three years on Paraguard and no major problems.

I had the paraguard for 1 1/2 years and also had heavier-than-normal periods. Otherwise it was terrific. It was mostly covered by insurance (around $40 plus copay, I think) which made it much cheaper than birth control. And I never had to think about it. I wanted the hormone-free option and that's why I didn't choose the Mirena. Good luck!

Hi K.,

I've had the copper paragard IUD for over 3 years. It was the best choice for me because I didn't want to use hormones and didn't want to have to think about birth control. Before my periods were about 5 days and the flow was very predictable (spotting, medium, heavy, light, spotting) With the IUD, the flow is a little less predictable it can go from spotting or light to very heavy and I have to wear a pad to protect from leak accidents. Also flow, (with spotting days) is more like 7 or 8. Flow changes and length of period are my 2 complaints, but for me it's worth it to be spontaneous, not have to think about birth control and be drug free. Try it. Good news, it's easy to take out. Give it a few months because the first few cycles are heavier and then it settles down.

A little about me: Self employed mom of 4 year old boy.

I had the Paraguard inserted almost a year ago because, like you, have 2 kids & aren't 100% sure that we're done. I was also tired of being on the pill (was on it 13 years), it is nice to be off hormones & not feel like I'm carrying around the extra hormone weight. The first couple of months the cramping with my period was uncomfortable (not going to lie), & the flow was heavier, but now its not bad. Its great not having to worry about birth control & I feel great without taking hormones (used to feel sluggish, etc & didn't realize it was the hormones).

Best of luck to you!

K.,

I have had my Mirena for about 5 months now and I love it. At first I had several weeks of spotting and I was pretty sure I was going crazy but it stopped and I haven't had a period since. Totally love it. Talk with your doctor on the best options for you.

Hello K.!

I had the Paragard for a year after my daughter was born, and for the first month, I was VERY miserable with heavy cramping ALL the time, and a couple heavier than usual periods. However, once my body adjusted to it, I felt totally normal. I had it pulled out to try to get pregnant again, but we've changed our mind again and I'll have another one reinserted - if that's any testament to how much I liked it! LOL

Good luck in your choices!
K.

I have a copper one and it's been great. I got horrible migraines with hormone everything, so I wanted a hormone free option. My periods have been completely average, and I was expecting the worst. No problems there at all. I had it put in about 10 weeks post-partum, but insertion was super easy (my OB did mention that other drs sometimes have a hard time with it) but the cramping was really minimal. I totally recommend it.

i've had the Mirena IUD for over a year and i haven't had any problems with it. for the first month i had spotting but once that stopped i haven't had a period or any weight gain or other unwanted side effects. i would recommend it.

I had the Mirena put in at my 8 week appt. after having twins and I was very happy with it. Now 2 years later, I am not. It took a while for some of the unsavory side effects to take hold. I kept getting yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis (though harmless pysically, makes a horrible fishy vaginal odor) and started getting pulsating headaches almost every day. I had it removed.
It was covered by my insurance, so I paid $15 co-pay to have it put in and it did work great in preventing pregnancy, but there were more cons than pros for me.
There is a site specifically for Mirena side effects (google it) and that's where I discovered that I was not crazy in thinking that the IUD was causing the problems, my doctor was passing it all off as normal...
Everyone is different and I would not discourage you from trying it, just be aware of the possible side effects.

I had the Mirena put in six weeks after my second so was born (He is now five months). So far I have had no issues! No pain or cramping nad best of all no period!!! The only downfall to my husband is that he says he can feel it during intercourse so if you get one make sure you tell your doc to leave the string long-my friends husband got almost like punctures from the string being too short and sharp! Good Luck!!

I have the Mirena and have had zero issues with it. Since I decided that was what I wanted after my 3rd daughter was born, the doctor preferred to insert it at my 5-week post-partum check-up. If we'd waited, it would still have to have been during or at the end of a period (you need to be dilated at last 2 cm).

It's much more painful and uncomfortable for women who have never had children because they don't dilate enough during their periods yet.

A small percentage of women feel moderate to severe discomfort and pain during insertion, but most feel mild discomfort, nothing that a few Advil can't take care of.

You would likely get some mild cramping similar to very mild contractions, because your uterus would be saying, "Hey, that doesn't belong there, let's eject it." You might have very, very light spotting. A very few women have enough bleeding that they have to have the device removed.

I chose Mirena because it's VERY low dosage of hormone, and is not enough to go throughout your entire bloodstream. It's not even enough to cause acne because there's just not enough hormone in it unless you're super-sensitive to any/all hormone therapies. The fact is that the Pill can be used to treat acne, but the IUD can't even though it has progesterone in it because there's simply not enough.

There's also a chance that while your periods will get lighter, they could also stop until the IUD is removed. I think I get my period (lightly) once a year since I had it inserted back in March 2005.

I personally couldn't choose the copper or any other of the metallic ones because I have a contact skin allergy to copper and nickel. It would be a huge mistake for me to use them. Mirena is lightweight and it's plastic, so it's completely hypo-allergenic. I've actually lost weight on it, compared to gaining a lot of weight from the Pill because again, it has far less hormone than the Pill does.

Mirena does cost more (average is around $700-800 for hardware + procedure), and it might not be covered by your insurance. What you want to do in regard to worry about an IUD puncturing your uterus is to check your OB's track record for the procedure.

I have Paragard and it's been great. Insertion didn't hurt too much and there were only heavy periods for about three months; since then they've been pretty light. It's also nice not having to think about it! Good luck with your decision.

I got a Mirena a few months ago, and have had zero problems. I've lost weight, my acne is the same, and other than cramping when it was inserted I have no pain from it. I'd highly recommend it to anyone!

K., I, like many of the responses you have gotten so far, would also highly recommend the IUD. I am on my second Mirena and love it. Never had any problems with them. With my second one, I spotted for about 2 months after it went in, but then went to a very light period. I think it is definitely the way to go! Good luck!

Anything with hormones after age 35 makes me nervous. I now know four women with blood clots that have their world dumped upside down for the next couple of years, not worth it to me. I would explore only hormone free options because the risks outweigh the benefit, and it only goes up with age. I don't understand why it is in the adverting, but stats aren't given by age like they are with pregnancy complications. They must have the info, but don't share it readily if at all.
Good luck,
D.

Hi K.,

I chose the Mirena after my first child 2+ years ago. I love it! Inserting it you may feel cramps my doctor said, but I didn't feel a thing. My periods got less and less and hardly know when and if I have one now I haven't had any side effects with it either. I have heard of the Paragard but don't know much about it. A friend had that one for awhile and she still got a period. Well, good luck with your choice, but I've had a very positive experience with the Mirena!

I have the Mirena and I love it. My periods are so light that I dont even have to use pads. Its funny before I had the IUD put in I had bought a box of pads and tampons and 4 years later I still havent even opened them. You can still tell that its your period week cuz yu get the one or two acne and breast tenderness but other than that thats it. I have had absolutely no problems at all. I have to get it removed next year and I will diffinately be putting another one in. I cant say enough good things about it.

I LOVE MIRENA!!!! I had it put in in Feb 4 months after the birth of my daughter and have had no problems what so ever. I even finally lost the last 8 pounds of pregnancy weight I was struggling with! On the pill I would get the occasional PMS acne but I have had very clear skin since. I have received two normal periods since; but from what my ob/gyn and 4 friends w/ Mirena told me I can expect my period to disappear completly the next few months starting first w/ light periods, to spotting to nothing. GO WITH MIRENA!!!

Hi K.,
I have had a mirena of and on for the last 5 years. I had one before I decided to get pregnant with my first daughter. Got another one at my 6 week check up. Then decided to have another baby about 2 years later. After my second daughter was born, I had another one placed. I have never experienced any of the side effects. I used to have a problem with my periods emotionally, I think it is called PMDD. That is why my OB/GYN recommended the Mirena, even though I had not yet been pregnant. The BC pills seemed to make the PMDD worse. Even if I only took the "fake" pills every three months. I highly recommend the Mirena. I don't have a period usually. If I do it lasts about half a day. And it has been that way all along, before and after pregnancies. I didn't notice any weight gain or acne. As far as the dizziness or headaches, I get those, but I am pretty sure it is from my still more sleeping through the night 8 month old and the large cup of coffee I find myself drinking every morning!
The Mirena as you probably know is "good" for 5 years. In Europe it is 7 and I think the FDA is looking into that for the US. I think the IUD is more cost effective over 5 years vs BC pills as well.
Well, I have rambled on and on, I hope this helps!

S.

I have had very good luck with the Mirena IUD. Had it put in at my 6 week check up 5 years a go and after about a year I started to not get my period and four years later no period. I had it taken out last July so I could get pregnant and a few months later I was and right after this baby is born I am getting the same thing I think it is great

Hi K.
I am 37 and had a bad experience with Mirena 2 years ago. After having both of my daughters my husband and I decided we didn't want anymore children and the UID sounded like a great idea. the first 4 months were great but then I started getting bad stomach pains, migraines, naseau, all the symptoms and more that you described above. I had asked my OBGYN if it was from the Mirena and she claimed no. After doing some extensive research I found a pending lawsuit case against the Mirena and over 900 woman who all have the same symptoms. I had it removed immediately and feel 100% better. I had never been on birth control before(for health reasons) and will never do it again. I'm trying to get my husband to get fixed since my body has been through enough but until he decided to make the appointment we use condoms. I know its not as intimate but I cannot go through that experience again. I also have endomitriosis which is a painful and have started taking a cream to balance my hormones and it has done wonders. I'm all about natural these days with all the pollutants in the world today and the cancer rate raising.
Hope this helps and good luck with what ever you decide..
Kristina

I chose the Paragard about 1.5 yrs ago because I was sensitive to hormones that were in traditional birth control. I know the Mirena releases a minimal amount but I thought if I am going to go through the trouble of having an IUD inserted, I might as well get the one without the hormones. I am pretty sure I do not want anymore kids, but I feel too young for tubal ligation so I really like that it can be kept in for up to 10 years (as opposed to only 5 years with Mirena). And if I should somehow change my mind and want another baby down the road, I can have it removed and be "ready to go" immediately. I think I have only had a handful of especially crampy months and/or heavy periods with Paragard since I got it 18 months ago, but usually normal periods and it seems that the longer I've had it in the lighter my period has actually gotten each month. I really don't even know its there and neither does my husband. My sister had the Mirena and cramped/bled for a couple months and decided to have it removed she was so miserable. But everyone is different. Good luck what ever you decide!

I had the Mirena inserted after having my 4 yo. First of all the procedure to insert it was PAINFUL. Then I had problems with my periods (constantly spotting) and recurring yeast infections/BVs. Not to mention that I gained 30lbs. After six months and some research online I figured out it was the mirena causing my problems. I had it removed. I am currently pregnant and really trying to figure out what to do after having this baby.

Im on my 2nd Mirena and have never had any types of side effects. The best thing I ever did(for Birth Control). I dont have any periods, I dont have any cramps or any side effects. Dont get scared off. Its a great option and I think alot of women hear bad stories that scare them off. I had my 1st one put in after my second child (waiting for hubby to have a Vascectomy). Then I had it taken out after the alloted time and had another one put right in. Even though my hubby got a V I still kept it. I love having no periiods and the Dr says you dont need them except for trying to get preg. Cant say enough good things!! Good Luck!

Hi, I had the Mirena put in at an appointment right after but not the 6 week appointment, there was mild discomfort but like someone said, it was a few cramps and it was gone by the end of the day. Mu ob let the string alone to see how it curled and then trimmed it at a follow-up appointment. I am very influenced by hormones. When I was on the pill I was on the lowest possible dose with no spotting ever so I am not sure about you but my kid is 18 months old and I never had my period while I breast fed (he self weaned at 11 months) and spotted after that. I had my first period last month and it was longer then when I was on the pill (I was down to 2 days) but not heavier.

Hope this was helpful but I definitely like not constantly thinking about birth control

Good Luck, Nat

I was on the pill for 10 years before deciding to have a child, and have now had Mirena for well over a year. I'm pretty happy with it. I have a little acne, which I never had while on the pill. It's manageable. I haven't noticed any weight gain (no more than on the pill). I had two periods after having it put in, but haven't had another in over a year. It's nice, once you get past the anxiety of wondering whether you're PG when your period never comes.
I also had some discomfort/cramping after intercourse the first 2-3 months, but that's subsided.
Importantly, it's a VERY low dose of hormone, because it goes straight to the the target, and never has to be diluted in your blood the way oral contraceptives do.